Mechanically-refrigerated cabinet



J. R. REPLOGLE 1,780,243

MECHANICALLY REFRIGERATED CABINET Filed Feb. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 4, 1930.

M. R. e E Q V ll P 7 m T 4," 7/0 2 A42 ATTORNEY.

J. R. REPLOGLE 1,780,243 MECHANICALLY REFRIGERATED CABINET 7 Filed Feb. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N V EN TOR. @Zzn Ffi p/g/e A TTORNEY.

Nov. 4, 1930.

Patented Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE JOHN B. REPLOGLE, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AssIGNoR To KELV'INAT R CORPORA- TION, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN MECHANICALLY-REFRIGERATED CABINET Application filed February 5, 1927. SerialNo. 166,050.

This invention relates to mechanically refrigerated cabinets for storing food, and the like, at a-plurality of temperatures.

In the storage of refrigerated food and drinks, the tradesman is required to maintain the storage space at different temperatures in many instances, because for example, brick,- ice cream must be kept at a temperature' considerably lower than that desired for storing bulk ice cream. and bottled drinks must be kept at a higher temperature than bulk ice cream to prevent freezing the drinks and cracking the bottles.

In selling mechanically refrigerated food or soft drinks, 'which must be kept at different low temperatures, it has been the practice to use either separate cabinets; or to provide-a pluralityofcoolingunits in a single cabinet. Such cabinet arrangements are objectionable to the t-radesman selling small quantities of refrigerated goods because of the-floor space required for a plurality of cabinets, and the initial cost and operating cost of either arrangement.

It is an object of this invention to provide a small, compact and low-priced mechanicale 1y refrigerated cabinet for the use of the tradesman in economically storing small quantities of f oods and drinks. at different temperatures.

Another'object of my invention is to pro vide a mechanically refrigerated food storage cabinet structure in which a plurality of chambers are maintained at different low temperatures with a single cooling unit.

A further object of my invention is to provide a self-contained mechanically refrigerated cabinet in which a predetermined temperature, above freezing, is maintained in one of a plurality of chambers by its as-' sociation with another chamber associated directly with the refrigerating mechanism.

parent as the description progresses, in

which like characters designate like parts in Fig. 1 is a plan view of a cabinet withparts broken away to show the interior con- I tional View showing the manner of associating the tanks in the cabinet.

The cabinet illustrating the preferred form of my invention is self-contained, in that the refrigerating mechanism is carried therein, but if desired the operating mechanism could be arranged remote from the cabinct. The cabinet is formed to provide an ,end machinery compartment A, and adjacent but separate food storage compartments B and C which are maintained at different temperatures, the compartments being arranged preferably end to end and forming a rectangular structure. Obviously, more food storage compartments could be provided if desired. 1

v The frame of the cabinet is made up of metal angles around which are associated end and side walls, each formed of an outer sheet metal casing 12 and an inner cork wall 13. A transversely extendingpartition wall 14 is arranged adjacentone end of the cabinet separating the refrigerating machinery compartment A from the food storage compartment B, and a corkinsulating wall 15 is arranged interiorly of the partition wall14. A top wall, having apertures extending therethrough, extends the length of the cab- 16, an interior wooden section 17 and an inner cork insulation 18. I of the cabinet consists of an outer panelling It will be seen that the cork insulation defines a space interiorly of the cabinet in which The bottom wall inlet, and includes an outer sheet metal casing 19a'ndan'n lae'ofc'k' 1t 20. These and other ob]ects wlll-be more ap- 1 Her y r or msu a Ion the tank being open at its top and preferably formed of sheet copper. This tank is arranged at the end of the interior of the cabinet removed from the machinery compartment. The cork insulation of the cabinet top terminates adjacent the tank 22, and the open end of the tank extends adjacent the wooden section 17 and directly beneath an opening through which foodstuff can be inserted or removed when the lid 23 is removed. This compartment C is designed more par ticularly for the storage of bottled goods or foodstufi' required to be maintained at the higher temperature. The tank rests directly upon the waterproof material on the bottom of the cabinet and extends entirely across one end of the space interiorly of the cabinet.

The compartment B is enclosed by a closed sheet copper brine tank 24 which rests in a pan 25 which is seated upon an additional bottom layer of cork insulation 26. Sleeves 27, forming food storage chambers, which are open at both ends extend vertically through the brine tank. False bottoms 28 rest upon the cork wall 26 within the sleeves, so that the weight of food will rest directly on the bottom and thereby eliminate separa tion of the seams of the tank. The sleeves are arranged in spaced relation and directly below openings through the cabinet top so that foodstuff can be inserted and removed when the lids 29 are removed. Collars 30 extend from the top Wall of the cabinet into the sleeves to prevent warm air from circulating around the brine tank .when the lids are removed.

The closed brine tank is substantially filled within the tank, preferably intermediate the sleeves 27. The evaporator, the associated refrigerating mechanism, and the manner of arrangement in the cabinet and the operation are fully explained in my Patent No. 1,476,546 issued December 4, 1923, so that a Iflurther description is not deemed necessary ere.

The brine tank 24 and the open tank .22 forming the food storage compartments B and C respectively are maintained in spaced relation by the spacing members 31. The spacing members are preferably secured together to form a rectangular frame member which may be inserted bodily between the two abutting Walls of the tanks 22 and 24. An air space is thus provided between the two tanks, and the distance between the tanks determines the degrees of temperature higher the compartment C will be maintained than the compartemnt B; thus by varying the thickness of the spacer elements 31 the desired differential in temperature can be maintained in the compartments.

The compartment B is refrigerated by the cooling unit or evaporator D, which is preferably extended into the brine tank and which absorbs heat from the surrounding brine, setting up convection currents in the brine to maintain the brine at a substantially uniform temperature. The heat absorbed by the evaporator causes the refrigerant therein to boil and the vaporized refrigerant is returned to the compressor of the refrigerating apparatus, where it is compressed and subsequently reduced to liquid form and then conducted back into the evaporator.

The compartment C is refrigerated indirectly by the same cooling unit associated with compartment B. The heat from compartment C is transmitted by conduction into compartmentB, the brine serving as a conductor to carry the heat units from the walls of the tank to the cooling unit or evaporator. The greater the space between the two campartments B and C, the more resistance there will be to the flow of the heat from one compartment to the other. The flow of heat by conduction from compartment C to compartment-B is thus nicely controlled by the arrangement of the compartments, and it is possible to construct and arrange these compartment-s with more or less air space therebetween so as to maintain any desired predetermined temperature in compartment C.

With the mechanically refrigerated food storage cabinet herein described it will be seen that I have provided a multi-temperature storage cabinet which is self-contained, compact and economical as to its original cost, its service cost and its operating cost. This construction makes it possible for the tradesman who handles small quantities of food or drinks, which must be kept at low temperatures and at different temperatures, to profitably avail himself of mechanical refrigeration service heretofore only available to the tradesman handling a large/ amount of refrigerated goods.

It will be seen that the machinery compartment and a plurality of food storage chambers are all contained within a unitary cabinet structure occupying a minimum amount of floor space, and that a maximum of space is available for the food storage chambers which are readily accessible from the exterior to store and dispense food.

It may further be seen that with the arrangement and association of the plurality of storage chambers within an insulated space interiorily of the cabinet, in which heat is transferred from one chamber to the other by conduction, that two or more temperatures can be economically maintained with the use of a single cooling element arranged in circuit with the refrigerating mechanism.

A food storage cabinet structure constructed' as described in the foregoing specification afiords a maximum capacity with a minimum overall dimension.

Various changes can be made in the structure without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the appended claims. I

What I claim is:

' 1. In a food storage cabinet having-an interior insulated chamber and provided with openings through which access may be had to the interior of said chamber, the combination of a closed brine tank supported within said insulated chamber, said brine tank having a food storage compartment extending therein, the open'end of said compartment registering with the opening in the cabinet, movable closure members for the openings in the cabinet, an evaporator of a mechanical chamber, a brine tank supported within said insulated food chamber, said brine tank having a food storage compartment extending therein, an evaporator of a mechanical refrigeration'system extending into said brine tank, an open dry tank supported within said insulated chamber, and spacing means of low heat conductivity between said tanks for s acing the tanks relatively to form a co ed air space of predetermined volume forregulating the rate of heat exchange therebetween.

3. A unitary mechanically refrigerated food storage cabinet formed to define a cham ber for housing refrigerating mechanism and an interior insulated food chamber, a brine tank supported within said insulated food chamber, said brine tank having a food storage compartment extending therein, an evaporator of a mechanical refrigerating system extending into said brine tank, an open tank supported within said insulated. chamber, and a frame-like spacing element inserted between said tanks to form a confined air space of a predetermined volume therebetween, the distance said spacing element separates said tanks determining the rate of heat 3 exchange therebetween.

, tending therein,-an evaporatorof a mechan 4. A unita mechanically refrigerated food storage ca inet formed to define a chamber fomhousing a refrigerating mechanism and an interior insulated food chamber, a

- brine tank extending across one end of said insulated food chamber, said brine tank having an open'food storage compartment exchamber, and spacing members inserted between said tanks to form a predetermined confined air space of constant heat transfer value between the tanks.

5. In a food storage cabinet having an interior heat insulated chamber and provided with openings through which access may be had to saidchamber, the combination of a closed brine tank supported within said-insulated chamber, said brine tank having open end food storage compartments extending therein, the open end of said compartments registering with openings in the cabinet, movable closure members for the openings in the cabinet, an evaporator of a mechanical refrigerating system in said brine tank, and an open tank supported in said insulated chamber, said tanks being arranged in spaced relation to permit a confined air circulation therebetween for transmitting heat from the walls of the open tank to the walls of the closed tank at a predetermined rate.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature. 7

JOHN ,R. REPLOGLE. 

